University of Michigan Bicentennial: Monumental gift yield’s U-M’s first-ever professorship

In 1898, the estate of Elizabeth H. Bates, M.D., made a monumental gift to the U-M Medical School that left a lasting impact on the organization. Her generosity served as the springboard for today’s robust catalog of endowed professorships that keeps Michigan Medicine among the global leaders in education, research and clinical care.

Surprisingly, however, Bates had little connection to the university that compelled her to donate.